İSTANBUL-  Selahattin Demirtaş who is being tried with the charge of defamation of the president  said: "We are not afraid to stand trial" Demirtaş spoke about the affirmance of their sentence after the ECHR verdict and said: "It was a political decision after he said "We'll make a counter move and finish the job".

 

People's Democratic Party (HDP) former Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş's hearing for the charge of 'Defamation of the President' was seen at the Bakırköy Courthouse today. Demirtaş attended the hearing via video call.

 

Demirtaş who was found unlawfully detained by ECHR said about the finalization of the decision of the case he and Sırrı Süreyya Önder was charged with "Propaganda of an illegal organization": "It emerged with the ECHR verdict, that at least a portion of the judiciary that violated the 18th article of the european convention on human rights are being directed by the pressure and the clear instructions of the President of AKP. The fact that the heavy penalty imposed on Sırrı Süreyya Önder and myself affirmed shows that this is a political decision after the words of AKP President saying "We'll make a counter move and finish the job."

 

Demirtaş stating that he has nearly 50 pending cases and he has a lot to say on AKP President Erdoğan's words added: "We are not afraid of anyone. We are not afraid of standing trial.I request that this file to be merged.

 

The trial was postponed to 27 March 2019.